I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved method and system for monitoring traffic on a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) repeater.
II. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication entails the transmission of electromagnetic waves through free space. In a wireless communication system, a base station exchanges wireless signals with a communication device, such as a mobile phone. A network of base stations provides wireless communication service to an expansive coverage area. Due to various geographic and economic constraints, the network of base stations does not provide communication services in certain areas within the coverage area. These holes in the coverage area are filled with the use of repeaters. Repeaters receive, amplify, and re-transmit signals to and from the communication device and base station. Typically, the repeater is a high gain bidirectional amplifier. The repeater provides communication service to the coverage hole, which was previously not serviced by the base station. Repeaters may also augment the coverage area of a sector by shifting the location of the coverage area or altering the shape of the coverage area. Repeaters play an integral role in providing wireless communication.
Monitoring call traffic is a key component in providing wireless communication. The amount of call traffic determines whether certain coverage areas need to upgrade or downgrade their communication equipment. High call volume over a repeater may signify the need to replace the repeater with a base station to better handle a large volume of traffic. However, there are no current solutions to automatically monitor the amount of traffic coming through the CDMA repeater in an accurate and efficient manner. CDMA base stations can monitor the amount of traffic on the base station through base station software. However, the base station software does not distinguish between calls coming in directly from the mobile phone and calls coming in from the repeater.
The present invention is a novel and improved system that solves the above problem by monitoring traffic on a CDMA repeater. The invention receives a metric related to CDMA repeater operations and determines the amount of call traffic on the CDMA repeater based upon the metric. Obtaining the traffic on the CDMA repeater provides a distinct advantage in network planning and architecture. Determining that the traffic over the CDMA repeater is too heavy would indicate the need to replace the CDMA repeater with the base station to provide better wireless communication service.
In one embodiment, the invention monitors the amount of the call traffic based on signal power of the CDMA repeater. A power meter reads the signal power of the CDMA repeater. The invention receives the signal power of the CDMA repeater from the power meter. The invention then determines the number of users on the CDMA repeater based on the signal power from the power meter. This determination is made by a formula where the signal power is proportional to the number of users on a CDMA repeater. The repeater measurement system may store the number of repeater users in memory or transmit the number of repeater users to a remote location.